One Last Puzzle
by MikuLover
Summary: "And then, I catch sight of the snow. The snow is red, and the red is spreading. No. Please God, no. Don't take any more people that I love!"
1. In mors de Amice

**AN: I feel like I write very well when I'm describing sad things, so I'm writing something sad. There is a character death in this, so beware!**

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"Professor!" Flora screams, throwing open the door and racing towards me, tears soaking her face. I catch the young girl by the shoulders and try to calm her.

"Flora, what ever is the matter?" it suddenly occurs to me that Luke is not with her. She won't stop sobbing long enough to answer. I shake her back and forth gently, but all she manages to choke out is "help". "Flora, I won't be able to help unless you tell me what happened!" She gulps and breaks down in my arms.

"Call an ambulance, do something!" I'm thoroughly scared now.

"Why? What's happened?" she sobs and grabs my hand, pulling me towards the door. Even though it's snowing, I don't pause to grab my jacket.

"L-Luke...he-" I catch site of many people gathered around something. What is going on here? "He pushed me out of the way-" my pace quickens. Surely, Flora wasn't telling the truth. There was no possible way.

And then, I catch sight of the snow. The snow is red, and the red is spreading. No. Please God, no. Don't take anymore people that I love!

"There was a car-" the blood is rushing in my ears, I can barely hear Flora. A woman is yelling into her cellular phone, and a few men are surrounding an injured-looking person. My gut tells me who it is, but I'm refusing to believe it.

Flora and I are finally close enough to see the body. My whole world just shatters and disappears, right at that very moment. The poor girl turns away and presses her face into me, but I can't stop staring at the body.

"Luke." I say, numbly. The boy stirs and tries to sit up, but coughs up blood and falls back again. I rush to his side, fighting tears. "Luke, it's me. It's Professor Layton." he reaches up and touches my face.

"P-p-professor...?" he asks, slowly and unsurely, as if he doesn't believe me. The tears are finally starting to fall. I grip his hand tightly.

"Yes Luke, I'm here." he smiles and lays back.

"Professor, I'm so sorry." I squeeze my eyes shut and try not to let a fresh wave of tears overcome me.

"The ambulance is on its way!" someone calls. Everyone is gathered around or close to me and Luke. Luke's breathing is becoming weaker and more labored with every second.

"Professor, is Flora here?" I nod and wipe my eyes, pulling the young girl over.

"Yes, she's right here Luke." Flora kneels by his side and kisses his forehead, tears dripping onto his face. Luke runs his blood-covered fingers through her hair and smiles at her.

"Don't cry Flora. You're worth dying for, don't let anyone tell you otherwise." he barely manages to rasp out. Flora clutches at her heart and doubles over in tears.

"No, you can't die! Luke, please! You have to stay with us, you can't leave!" she screams. I grab her shoulders to keep her from jumping on top of him.

"Luke, the ambulance is on its way. You'll be at the hospital and in tip-top shape soon." he laughs, but it sounds so sad and scary at the given circumstance.

"Professor, please don't ever change. I want to remember you the way you are now. My best friend." I sob and pull him into a hug, not caring about the mess.

"Luke, don't talk like that!" I cry, feeling the boy's weak heartbeat against mine.

How can this be? Just two hours ago, Flora and he had left for the library to study. Now he was dying? It wasn't possible, it was just a bad dream, it had to be! Luke turns to Flora.

"Flora, be happy. Don't worry what the others think of you. Just be yourself and everyone will like you. I know I did, I love you." Flora cries harder, sinking to her knees, the prospect of death too much for the poor thing.

Luke is hardly breathing anymore. His heartbeat is non-existent, I can't feel it anymore. His motions are slowing and his eyes are dimming.

"Goodbye, Professor Layton." I clutch him tighter to me.

"No."

"You'll always be in my memories. I'm so glad that we were able to have such a wonderful friendship. You were my best friend."

"Luke, don't talk like that! You're going to make it! Please,"

"I have one last puzzle for you." I nod and look at him, desperate to keep him talking, breathing, just alive until the ambulance arrives. "What is something that we all fear, but will never be able to conquer and must eventually face?" my eyes widen at the obvious answer.

"Luke...!" he goes limp in my arms and his eyes slide closed. "Luke!" I shake him back and forth, sobbing.

Luke is not dead. I refuse to believe it. This is some sort of trick, a dream of some kind. This is not reality.

The sound of wailing sirens overwhelms me. The ambulance has arrived. Unfortunately, it was already too late. The logical part of me knew it, but the emotional side was distraught with the very idea.

"Sir," a gentle voice catches me off guard and I hug Luke tighter towards me.

"Professor, please!" Flora is tugging at me and sobbing, trying to snap me to my senses. Why won't they all just leave me alone?

"Luke..." why does God take everyone I care about? Lando, Claire, and now Luke? It wasn't fair. I hadn't ever done anything to deserve this.

"Professor, please. Let's just go home." Flora bends down next to me, halting her tears to try to help me.

"F-Flora..." she grabs my arm and hoists me upwards, shushing me and nodding. "Luke...he...he..." she nods again and starts to cry softly.

The ambulance is taking Luke's body away. I can't bare to watch as they clean his various cuts and wipe the blood from his precious face. Luke was my best friend. Now, he's gone.

Just like that, like a light of a candle, he's dead. A sense of dread seeps through me at the prospect of telling his parents. Flora seems to notice what I'm thinking. "We'll tell them together." she says, gently. I wrap my arms around her and hug. I'm not letting Flora leave. God doesn't deserve someone as good as Flora. She belongs only to me at the moment, and I'm keeping her at my side for as long as possible.

"Flora, stay with me." she nods and sobs on my shoulder. For the longest time, we just stand and cry. The people at the scene of the acident are also crying, and they offer us their sympathy.

I don't want sympathy, I want Luke. I need Luke. How am I going to be the great Professor Hershel Layton without my appentice number one, Luke Triton?

"Come on professor. Let's go home." Flora says gently, lifting my arm and pulling me upwards. I sniff and take her hand.

Together, we walk into the sunset, hand in hand, sharing each other's burden.

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**AN: Question. Should I write an epilogue?**

**Please comment and tell me what you think and if I should make an epilogue.**

**MikuLover~**


	2. O Speciosa lilium

I sit on the bench and fold my hands in my lap. I'm still not sure about coming down here, but Flora had convinced me to. She had said, "Luke would have done the same for one of us." inspector Grosky had called us down to the station for the diagnosis on Luke's death.

Flora had been saying the Luke excuse about almost everything. Yesterday, she had used it to get me to take her to Luke's grave. I hadn't wanted to visit it, it had been hard enough at the funeral, but she had convinced me to by saying Luke would have done the same for me.

"Mr. Layton," a young officer opensthe inspector's door for me and Flora. I nod a thanks to him and walk into the office, on the brink of tears. The inspector straightens a few papers on his desk and gestures to the two wooden chairs in front of his desk. I sat down and Flora sat next to me, gripping my hand tightly.

"Professor Layton, how long has it been?" the inspector says, giving me a sympathetic look.

"Well, about two years." I say, fiddling with the edges of my jacket. He nods.

"Yes. If you don't mind, I think we should get to the subject." I bite my lip and stare down at the floor, and Flora squeezes my hand. "According to my investigation, it was a hit and run. The car hit the boy, the driver panicked, and left the scene before anyone had taken notice." the blood rushes from my face and I feel my stomach drop.

A hit and run? Does that mean that if the driver had stayed, Luke would still be alive, sitting next to me now? My hands begin to sweat and I start to shake. My life has been a living hell all because someone couldn't face the consequences of their crime? Flora's shoulders start to tremble, and I can hear her start to cry.

"There there, dear. I know it's difficult to take in," the inspector says, in a mich gentler voice than usual. "It was hard for me to believe it myself when I was called in for the case. I remember talking to him just day before." he trails off and I stand suddenly.

"I hope you don't mind inspector, but we shall be taking our leave now." the inspector nods. I'm guessing he understands about Luke. His death has been a delicate subject and it will probably remain as one.

"I say, have a good day." the inspector says, going back to his paperwork. How can I have a good day when I've just learned that there was a chance my faithful apprentice could have been saved?

Flora is silent on the way home, until we pass the local the grocery. She pauses and stares at the fresh produce. "Professor," she says slowly. "Why don't we get Luke some lilies? Those were his favorite flowers, and we could visit him, one last time." I take her hand and lead her into the grocery store. The clerk is all too cheerful.

"Oh, are you taking these home to mommy for a surprise?" I clear my throat.

"Not exactly, they're for a friend." he nods and wrings them up.

"Nine pounds and sixty-nine pence, please." I hand over the money and Flora gathers the lilies in her arms. We walk out of the grocery store and head down towards the park.

For some odd reason, the cemetery is located across from the park. Brenda and Clark agreed to let Luke rest in the London cemetery instead of taking him to be buried in Misthallery. "It's what he would've wanted." Brenda had said tearfully, at the ceremony.

"Here he is," Flora says softly. I stare down at the marker. "Luke Arthur Triton," she reads. "Son, friend, true gentleman. 1952-1965." I place the lilies on the grave and try to keep from crying. I can't even if I want to. I'm all dried out of tears, Luke took them from me at his funeral.

"Luke, I want you to know that we...miss you." Flora says, wiping her eyes. "We haven't been doing that well. Things are so different without you. The school is having a memorial for you tomorrow. And, the Professor goes back to work on Monday." the sun is setting, and I take Flora's hand, helping her to her feet.

"Flora, let's go. It's getting dark," she let's out a sob and stands up. "Don't cry dearest, it's all right." she leans on my shoulder and starts to cry.

"Professor, it's not fair!" she yells suddenly, making me jump. "Luke didn't deserve to die! He should be here with us right now!" what can I say to that? It's exactly what I'm thinking.

"Flora, it's alright dear. Sometimes life is not fair. But I'm sure wherever Luke is, he's happy. He lived a good life," she nods and presses her face into my jacket. Will Flora and I ever be the same?

I turn back and stare at the grave, watching the sun set yet again.

The sun is setting on another day, but the moon is just rising on another night.

_The mouth of the Just shall meditate wisdom,_

_And His tongue shall declare judgment._

_Blessed is he who endureth temptation,_

_For once he hath been tested, he shall receive the crown of life._

_Oh Lord, Fountain of Holiness,_

_Oh Lord, Fire Divine, have mercy._

_Oh how holy, how serene,_

_How generous, how pleasant this Virgin who believeth._

_Oh how holy, how serene,_

_How generous, how pleasant,_

_Oh Pure Lily._

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**AN: I couldn't help myself, I had to expand on this idea. And most of the reviewers wanted an epilogue anyways. The song lyrics at the end are to my sad song, "Lilium". It's such a pretty and moving song. **

**It sounds like something you would here in a church. I would be happy of you listened to it, but you don't have to.**

**Thanks again, and if you read, I would appreciate it if you reviewed as well. It will only take a minute of your day.**

**MikuLover~**


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